Veterans & Military Personnel

More on Veterans & Military Personnel

After a six-week cross-country motorcycle ride, Andover resident Gerry Wright has more than mileage to show for his effort.

Wright rode more than 10,000 miles throughout May and June to raise awareness of the diseases many veterans suffer from because of their exposure to Agent Orange during their service in the Vietnam War.

(Washington, DC) - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) sent a letter signed by 83 of his colleagues in the House of Representatives from both sides of the political aisle to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis strongly opposing a July 12 policy change from the Department of Defense (DOD) that would prevent service members with greater than 16 years of service from transferring their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to eligible family members. The letter was also signed by Representatives John B.

“The untimely passing of Air Force Staff Sgt. Grotjean, while deployed far from home protecting our nation, is a heart-breaking loss for his family, our state, and our entire nation. His critical work in the UAE as part of Operation Inherent Resolve to defend the civilized world deserves our deepest honor and respect. All of Connecticut mourns with his loved ones.”

On June 3, 1969, Bill Thibeault was asleep on the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans as it sailed between Vietnam and the Spratly Islands before being struck by a much larger Australian aircraft carrier. The accident resulted in the ship being split in half with the bow section sinking in less than 5 minutes. A total of 74 sailors were killed in the disaster that day. Sadly, nearly 5 decades later, the names of Bill's deceased shipmates have still not been added to the Vietnam War Memorial wall because the Evans was technically outside of the designated combat zone, about 80 miles off the coast of Vietnam, when it was struck.

“This is a good day for the House and more importantly, for our veterans,” Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) said. “Blue water veterans have waited decades for action and fairness from the VA and from Congress. I am proud to have worked on a bipartisan basis to finally get this this important and long-overdue legislation passed in the House. I hope that the Senate will follow our lead and pass this bipartisan bill without delay so that our Blue Water veterans can finally receive the recognition and care they deserve.”

Ernie first contacted my office in the summer of 2015 to request assistance with obtaining Korean Ambassador for Peace Medals for local Korean War veterans. I was happy to work with him on this effort, and since that time, we have presented nearly 200 of these medals to veterans across the Second Congressional District.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, is pushing the House to act on legislation that would restore access to VA benefits for Blue Water Navy veterans exposed to Agent Orange and other toxins during the Vietnam War.

Blue Water Navy veterans, those who served on ships in the territorial seas of Vietnam, are not eligible for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs related to Agent Orange or other herbicide exposure.

"The clock is ticking for these veterans," Courtney said by phone Wednesday.

Norwich — At a meeting of his Veterans Advisory Board on Monday, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, told the head of the VA Connecticut healthcare system that there might be an uptick in people accessing VA services.
Courtney authored language included in a massive defense policy bill passed recently by Congress to expand sexual trauma counseling and treatment to members of the National Guard and Reserves. The bill still has to be signed by President Donald Trump, and Congress must still find a way to pay for the $700 billion measure.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, hosted a Vietnam War 50th commemoration ceremony at Windham Technical High School Thursday to recognize, honor and draw attention to veterans who served during the Vietnam era.
“Tonight is a way of saying thank you to make up for the omission of ‘thank you’ that took place during the Vietnam era,” Courtney said.